Gratitude
by Neophyte's Serendipity
Summary: AU. She was raised in a tribe where it was taught and strongly ingrained in the minds of its citizens that if someone saves your life, you owe it to them and thus it's your duty to serve them for the rest of your life. She was saved by Hyuuga. Damn.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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><p>Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and its characters are owned by its creator, Tachibana Higuchi. Only the story idea and some original characters are mine.<p>

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><p>Author's Note: This story has been previously published here in fanfiction dot net. I removed it for some alterations within the story, and for proofreading and editing. To my previous readers, please check the author's note at the end of this chapter. Thank you. :)<p>

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><p>Chapter 1: A Fateful Night<p>

It was in the middle of the night that she decided to execute her plan. She slowly crept through the floor of her small room, and snatched a goat-skin satchel underneath her bed. She opened it and held it underneath the moonlight that seeped through her little window, with the see-through patterned draperies hung on the opening making beautiful dark patterns on her satchel. She opened it and quickly scanned its contents, making sure that everything she would need is there.

_Good. Everything is here._

She then tied a long sash made of tied up sheets around her waist, and tied the other end to the intricate bedpost adorning her four-poster bed. She looked around, imprinting a mental picture of her room on her mind.

The wooden four-poster bed, the colorful rugs strewn across the wooden floor, the ornate dark wooden closets, the wide patterned ceiling, colorful hair ornaments and extravagant headdresses hung on a wall, the cluttered dresser - she looked at all of these as she tried to imprint the mental picture on her mind.

She really does not need to – she grew up there, after all. Since she was a child, it has been her space. And along with the long time she spent there came so many memories – of her beloved grandfather, of her Miu (the little servant girl who has been assigned to her since she was five), of the long dark nights during a storm, of the extravagant clothes that was strewn across it early this morning when she was prepared for the announcement of her engagement to the prince of the neighboring tribe, and of course, long treasured memories of her foster mother, Kalam. She closed her eyes to stop herself from crying and clenched her fists till her nails dug to her palms.

_No. I will not cry. This is not the time for this. You have to do this, Mikan. You have to do this._

She then went to her window and drew the draperies covering it aside and proceeded to let herself out through the tiny opening. Slowly, she maneuvered herself down against the wall, letting the tied up sheets slide slowly from her fingers. Soon enough, she found herself nearing a tree, and jumped to land neatly on one of its branches. She readjusted the satchel around her waist and looked down from the tree through the leaves, and checked for anyone approaching.

Upon being assured that the coast is clear, she let herself down from the branch she was perching on and landed on the hard soil with a soft thud. She dusted herself off, and went to the small cottage at the end of their backyard. Upon going in, she took a lantern on the lone wooden table in the room and lighted it, doing so as she knelt to find a trap door.

Upon finding it, she lifted the wooden trap door on the floor to see a flight of stairs made of soil, leading underground. Slowly, she went down through the stairs and closed the trap door as she left.

She has finally done it. She is going to the place she has always dreamed of going to ever since she discovered about her biological mother.

_Don't worry, oji-chan. I will find mother and bring her and the weapon she has taken with her back to our tribe. I will save our village. Goodbye, Makiba, my home._

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><p><em>Damn that stupid producer<em>. Natsume Hyuuga angrily shrugged off his coat and loosened his tie. He then slumped himself on the sofa of his living room in his huge penthouse, massaging the bridge of his nose as he did so. He closed his eyes and furrowed his dark brows as he tried to push away the events of that afternoon from his mind.

Apparently, it was impossible for him to do that. The smirk of the snotty brat they call a producer, and the whispers behind his back as he tried to reason out with the said idiot was clearly etched in his memory. He has got one major problem – Luna Koizumi, the star of his primetime drama series, is pregnant. Just great. Fantastic. He can't believe this is happening.

He did not care whatever she does just as long as she did her job, kept herself pretty for the cameras and the snoopy paparazzi, and kept the ratings of his show at the top. He did not care how many men she gets involved in, or how many times she let herself get wasted. Of course, just as long as she does not let anyone see her that might destroy her innocent sweetheart image.

But this._ This_! How could she be stupid enough to get pregnant in the middle of a very important arc in the series? What's worse, she hid it from him! She did not even care to tell him that she's been pregnant for four and a half months already. If she has told about it sooner, they might have been able to do something about it –abort it or something like that. But no, the stupid woman chose to tell him at the last minute, where it would be difficult to find a replacement.

Sure, he could ask the scriptwriter to change some parts in the script so he could insert a new actress in the series. But to find a replacement in three days? They have got to be kidding him. That's bullshit. How the hell is he going to find a replacement in that short time? Sure, many actresses would jump at the opportunity, but not one of them is suitable for the role.

_That bastard_. The smirk of that bastard producer Andou irritated him more and more. He planned this. Maybe he even fucked that Luna pregnant so that he could get back at him. He's gonna pay for this. He's going to regret he ever chose Natsume Hyuuga to try to make fun of. He's gonna wipe that stupid smirk off his face. That bastard Andou could rely on that.

Now, to find that replacement. He has got to do something about it very soon. They'll see. No one has ever made Natsume Hyuuga fall. He will make them see that it was a mistake to think that he could ever fail in this project. He worked hard for this. He has already been this far. He's not going to hand this over to anyone else. This success will be his and his alone.

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><p>Mikan Sakura was never known for her sense of direction. She wasn't known for her intelligence either. If there is something she would be known for, that would be her stupidity and her damn clumsiness. That would perhaps be one of the reasons why it did not come as a surprise (even to her, for that matter) that she got lost.<p>

She was able to reach the city after following the instructions her childhood friend gave her in order to reach it. It was a wonder how she did it, how she even got this far when all she had was that satchel with her and no form of transportation whatsoever in order to reach the city.

She walked. It's amazing how only through that, she was able to reach the city in a span of only one day.

Perhaps all that training for combat back at the tribe helped her improve her stamina. Moreover, she was used to walking long distances. After all, she has to climb two mountains every day to reach the neighboring tribe which was recently in need. As the princess of their tribe, she knows it was her duty to represent her tribe and to help neighboring tribes in need.

Now that she thought about it, ever since they helped them, their condition improved greatly and they are now able to stand on their own feet. She smiled at the thought and continued walking, despite her aching legs.

Where was she now, anyway? Ah, the city of course. The problem is, she does not know any place in the city, and where she could go to rest and stay for the night. She does not want to endure sleeping out in the cold night again, like what she did last night. She tugged on her short woven top which revealed much of her belly. The short woven skirt did not do much either to help warm her small body. She had her lion fur coat with her just a while ago, but she gave it away to the old woman she saw on the streets who was freezing in the cold. She knew the old woman needed it more than her, so she does not regret giving it away even if it was now her who was shivering with the cold instead.

She sighed as she rubbed her arms with her soft hands to try to keep warm. She has to find a place soon. If only someone would be kind enough to let her stay even just for one night. Gods of the earth and the moon, please let me find a place to stay for the night.

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><p>Meanwhile, a man with dark matted hair falling loosely on his face was watching this young woman all this time, observing her movements, checking if she was all alone. His eyes glinted with lust at the sight of her. He rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully and his thin gray lips curved to a smirk. Looks like he's going to have some fun tonight.<p>

The girl is obviously alone, and came from a very far place. By the looks of her clothing, she came from somewhere very far. He hasn't ever seen anyone clothed like that. In this cold night, how could that girl be wearing so little? And those woven cloths, what is this girl? Some tribal woman or what?

Perhaps it was some kind of gimmick of a nearby brothel. But the girl is looking around the place, looking as if not knowing where to go. _Right_. She's definitely not from anywhere near here. And that girl's definitely not some whore. Oh, this night's going to be so much fun for him. How could he be so lucky?

He snuffed out the cigarette that was hanging from his lips and crushed it on the ground with his foot. He slowly stood up and walked towards the girl taking care not to be noticed. Apparently the girl's senses are heightened and quickly spun around upon sensing a movement.

S_hoot_. He was sure he was quiet, this girl sure is something. Then the girl did something unexpected. She smiled. _She damn smiled._ What girl smiles at strangers at night in a dark alley? So she is a prostitute after all. He returned the smile.

"Good evening, mister. I was wondering if you know of a place where I could stay for the night. Do you know some place?" The girl asked in accented Japanese. She looks so damn innocent with those big amber eyes of hers and that wide smile. How could she trust so easily? Well, perhaps he really is just lucky tonight. She's practically asking him to take her. This is so easy for him.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Come with me and I'll show you." He said and smiled in a way he hoped was a seductive way. It only succeeded in showing his few yellowing teeth making him look like some villain from a movie. But then the idiotic girl does not seem to notice it and the hint of what he said had instead made her smile grew wider, if that were possible. _This girl sure is something_, the man thought.

"Really? Oh, that would be good! Thank you so much, mister!" She cried happily and followed the man who already started walking. She was led to an even darker alley, uncertainty finally evident on her face.

"Uh, mister, whe-" she was cut off with the sight of a small pub, with a warm light seeping out from the small window. "Ah, so this must be the place. I'll be fine now, mister. Thank you very much for taking me here." She said to the man and went ahead to go inside the pub.

She was so tired and hungry and eager to rest. She did not even notice the stares the men inside the pub were giving her and was also oblivious to the whistles and cries coming from some of them. She simply went to the woman behind the counter and asked for a place to stay.

She was surprised to feel a rough hand caressing the soft bare skin at the small of her back before ending at her waist. She looked up to find the man who brought her there smiling suggestively down at her and felt goosebumps crawl up her spine. She tried to free herself from the arms of the strange man.

"Uh, mister, thank you for bringing me here. I'll be fine now, so you can leave me now." She tried to tell the man.

"Aw, but sweetie, won't you want to have some fun before I leave?" the man teased.

"Really, mister. I'm fine now. I'm tired and I just want to rest. Please leave me." Mikan replied, frustration now evident on her face. She must be really tired now. She never lost her patience this fast before. The man seemed unaffected, and came closer, intent on his purpose.

"Just one night. I know you won't regret it." His eyes were now darker than it was before, and the stink of cigarettes wafted from his mouth, making Mikan wrinkle her nose in distaste and move away.

"Mister, I'm tired. Please leave me, I want to rest." She spoke in that authoritative manner she used back at her home when conversing with their workers. She used to intimidate those she did not like, like those men who kept on making moves on her. Again, the stranger was unaffected, and to her surprise, the man quickly grabbed her waist, and slung her over his shoulder. She tried to get down and tried to kick the man, which only caused the man to grab at her buttocks. She was mortified.

"You! Put me down! I'm telling you, put me down! Or else –"

"Or else what, sweetie? You can't do anything, so stop resisting. You'll thank me later, I know." The man gruffly stated, which only irritated Mikan even more.

Then, all of a sudden, the man's knees buckled and he fell to the floor, bringing Mikan along. Mikan took advantage of the situation and escaped from the man's grip. She tried to run away only to feel the strong grip of rough warm hands on her small wrist. She stopped and angrily tried to free her wrist, without success. Really, how could this old man be so persistent? She thought angrily and again tried to free herself.

"Stop moving, Polka." A rich masculine voice said. She blushed at the thought that someone saw her underwear while she was held by the strange man.

"You –" She looked at her captor, and stopped midsentence as she was met with the most tantalizing crimson eyes she has ever seen.

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><p>Author's Note: To my previous readers, I'm really sorry for the sudden removal of this story. I acted on impulse, which I now regret. However, I am now able to correct the few mistakes I made on the first draft. There has been changes in this story as well (like the foster mother). I hope you bear with me. :)<p>

To the new readers, I hope you liked this chapter.

Review, please?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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><p>Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and its characters are owned by its creator, Tachibana Higuchi. Only the story idea and some original characters are mine.<p>

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><p>Chapter 2: Saved<p>

Natsume Hyuuga should never have gone to find himself something to drink in that shady pub. He never should have picked this night to go to a place he never really frequented in the first place. If he hadn't, he never would have to find himself in this situation. It was not like him to butt into other people's business. It was not like him to knock out some random guy just to save some senseless idiotic girl.

He never would have cared if the man raped the young woman in front of him. For all he knew, the woman was probably just some whore who's playing hard to get. But something about the woman tells him she was not just some whore. For some reason, he saw that she was not just some woman, for that matter even. Since the young woman entered the pub, he has never taken his eyes off her. He really does not know why, but there was something about this girl that was different – something he has never seen in other women before. He still hasn't identified it himself, but he knew he'll get to that later.

He grabbed the woman's wrist before she could get away. This ungrateful woman dared to just leave after what he did. "Stop moving, Polka." He said tonelessly as he tightened hi s grip on her wrist.

"You – ", the woman cried angrily, but stopped mid-sentence as soon as he saw him.

Before he could even reply, a hard fist met his jaw, causing him to stumble a little. Shit. He forgot about the guy after seeing the eyes of that woman. That guy dared to try to mar his face with those filthy hands of his. He's going to regret he challenged Hyuuga to a fight.

Without letting go of the woman's wrist, he turned around and landed his fist straight to the man's angry face. He does not have time for this; he might as well finish this fast. He expected the man to fall unconscious, and so without looking back, he grabbed on the woman's wrist and tried to lead her out the small door of the pub.

However, the sound of movement behind him told him he could not leave just yet. This guy's too damn persistent. He's got to admire him a bit though for not being knocked out by his punch. He turned around to look at the man and saw him break a bottle of beer.

Glass was scattered on the floor, and the man held a large shard of glass and lunged towards him. This idiot. This man has got to be insane! He tried dodge but was surprised to see the woman he was gripping move in his direction, trying to block the attack for him. Another idiot! He moved as fast as he could and wrapped the woman in his arms at the last second. A bolt of pain shot through his arm and soon enough, he felt his warm blood trickle down his arms to his finger tips. What was he thinking?

"You're bleeding! What do you think you were doing?" the young woman cried out in panic, while trying to support his body. This girl dared ask that when it should be him who asks that question.

"You idiot. I –" He winced as another bolt of pain shot through his arm. What was he doing? He tried to locate the man and prevent him from doing anything further. He was surprised to see the man on the floor unconscious. What just happened?

"Let's go." The woman then said and slung his arm over her shoulders and held onto his waist to support him on going outside.

As soon as they were outside, he led her to his car that was parked nearby and got inside through the help of the woman.

"Get in." he gruffly said, nodding his head to the direction of the other door by the passengers' seat on his right. The woman obediently opened the other door and got inside. There was silence for a moment, with each of them trying to think of what to say. The woman chose to broke the silence, and what she said surprised the man beside her.

"Thank you for saving my life. I owe it to you, my master."

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><p>Mikan could not believe she got herself into this situation. She could only imagine what her ji-chan would say if he knew about this. Since she was little, it was ingrained in her mind that she should always know how to defend herself and should never let any opportunity that would enable others to save her instead. She could not even believe that she was unable to do something immediately when that lunatic man who tried to take advantage of her slung her over his shoulder.<p>

Perhaps it was because she was already so tired and hungry that her strength was not enough to fend off the man. It was a good thing someone came to her aid. It still really did not count as saving her life so it was fine. But what the man who helped her did afterwards – that was sure something. What was he thinking? Why would he risk his life protecting her when he does not even know her?

She could not believe someone just saved her life. She broke her promise to her ji-chan. She knew what the consequences would be had her life been saved by someone else. All her life, she has been trained in all forms of self-defense and some skills in combat, had the need to defend herself from assailants arise. Even as the princess of their tribe, she could not be exempted from the custom. It would be like going against the will of the gods.

It was believed, in her homeland, that if your life was put in danger, the gods would either intervene or let what was supposed to happen, if it is indeed already your time. If the gods intervene, they will either use forces of nature to save you, or will use a human as an instrument to save you instead. In the case of the latter, one has to give something in exchange – their life.

When a life was put in danger, it was considered as taken, and whoever intervened to prevent it from being taken was considered the new owner. This was taken advantage of by warring tribes before, as a way of conquering neighboring tribes and expand their territory. Once a person from another tribe has saved the life of one of the members of the royal family in another tribe, that person can take the life of the person he has saved, or he could command the member of the royal family to obey their wishes. This has caused the fall of many tribes before. This was the reason why she has prevented something like this happening before.

_Gods of the earth and the heavens, why did you let this happen? Is this your will? What are you planning?_

She sighed as she braced herself for the declaration she was about to make. _Whew. _At least she should be thankful that it was only a man of the city who has saved her. This person would not use the power he has over her to bring about the fall of her tribe. If she is lucky, he might even be good to her and release her after he realizes that she will be of no use to him.

_Yes. You can do this, Mikan. This is not so bad_.

_But you do not even know this man! What if he is some pervert just like the man who captured you just a while ago?_ A small part of her argued.

_No, he saved my life. He is different._

_For now, there is no time to argue anymore. He already saved my life. He owns it now, there is nothing more that I could do. _

She took a deep breath and let out the words she has been fearing to give for most of her life.

"Thank you for saving my life. I owe it to you, my master." She said in what she hoped was a calm voice.

She then proceeded to take some little pots from her satchel and put it on her lap. She was looking down all this time, afraid of meeting the eyes of the man who is to be her master from now on. She reached out to his right arm that was now covered in blood. The red of the blood against his white shirt added more to her uneasiness.

_This is all because of me. What if he dies?_ She thought.

_No, don't be stupid_, she told herself. _You know quite well he won't die from only this wound_. The man did not resist when she took hold of his lower arm. She looked up to meet his eyes, asking for approval before she proceeds tending to his wounds. She was surprised to see those crimson orbs yet again, but this time questioning, instead of the annoyed look it had before at the pub.

For a moment she lost herself in those eyes that were looking down intently at her. She could not help but look back with those amber eyes of hers, reluctant at breaking eye contact. Then the man smirked. The nerve! The man was laughing at her!

"Stared enough, polka?" the annoying man teased.

A blush quickly crept to her cheeks as she remembered what inspired him to give her such a nickname. She tried to keep her cool but before she knew it, she found herself glaring at the man in front of her and tightened her grip.

"I would like to ask if perhaps you could take off your shirt so I could tend to your wounds." She said through clenched teeth. Really, why does it have to be this man who saves her?

"What? Not content with what you already see?" the annoying man said. He started unbuttoning his shirt nonetheless and then shrugged off his shirt slowly, careful not to rub against his wound as much as possible.

The man has a good body, she has to admit. She avoided looking at his sculpted chest and instead focused on examining the wound, checking if shards of glass were left after the bottle has been stabbed at his arm. At least the bottle was quickly taken out by the attacker himself, so she would not have to take it out herself. She does not think she is confident that she would execute its removal perfectly.

"You're lucky there were no shards of glass left in your wound." She said as she untied a small sash around her waist and ripped it to long strips to serve as bandage later on. She then took a little pot from her lap and took off the covering to take a prepared poultice and applied it to the man's wound. The man jerked his arm at the contact.

"This should serve as a disinfectant. It might hurt but it will subside after a little while." She said as she took another pot and sniffed it, checking if it was the right medicine to apply next. She was glad all that training on those medicinal herbs was proving to be useful to her now. She was equally glad that she decided to bring some of the medicinal herbs she has made back at home, in case she was hurt. She never expected that she would be using this to help the man who actually saved her.

She then took the shirt the man has discarded and used it to wipe off the blood that was trickling down from the wound. After she was sure that the disinfectant has indeed dissolved and has done its job, she gently pat on the wound to remove any remnant of the poultice. The man jerked his arm from the hurt the slight pressure on the wound has caused. Mikan continued to hold his arm to prevent him from moving again. "Don't move a lot, this will only hurt more if you move." She scolded lightly.

"You –"

"Shh. Don't interrupt me while I'm doing my job. You wouldn't want a swelling arm because I applied the medicine in the wrong way." She chided even before the man could finish.

She then took some ointment from another small pot on her lap and gently applied it to the man's wounds. After finishing it, she then took the make-shift bandages she made and started to wrap it around his arm. Satisfied at the work she has done, she sighed and wiped the small droplets of sweat she was unaware that formed on her forehead while she was working. If there was something she was confident she was good at, it would be her skills in the use and application of medicinal herbs. She slumped back to her seat as she felt the strain on her back after leaning over so long while tending to the man's wounds.

"What did you do to the man inside the pub a while ago?" the man beside her asked.

Mikan however, did not get a chance to hear what he said. She must be so tired after her long travel and all the events that happened tonight. As soon as she leaned back and closed her eyes, she fell asleep.

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><p>Author's Note: I hope you liked this chapter.<p>

To my old readers, I would like to continue the voting for the drama series. :)

Here are the nominations again:

Story 1: **From Iris Petals**

Title: "Seeking Love"

A drama with two different people in their own world. They met, something clicked between them and they began to like each other. Girl met with an accident, got plastic surgery, lost memory. Boy didn't recognise the girl. Girl fell for another man but slowly her memory began to come back. She met her first love and told her everything. Now he wants her back but the other man who took care of her when she needed care loves her too. So, When she regains her memory, who will she choose?

Story 2: From **The Devils Song**

Title: "Broken Wings" / "Fallen Memories"

Hikari Tenshi was an Angel, fallen from heaven (with super awesome special effect powers) and she didn't remember her past. So she just woke up in a forest or something without a single memory of who she was or what she was. She meets Hansamu Kyuseishusomewhere and he finds her interesting and decides to help her regain her memories but they fall in love along the way. Then Hikari was called by a mysterious note left at her house and when she came back looked different because the mysterious person who left the note turned out to be her Angel mentor who helped her achieve her 'True Form' as an Angel, and so she looks completely different after achieving that. But a mysterious Demon, Minikui Akuma, rises up from the underworld with a mission to take down all Fallen Angels and she senses the great power hidden within Mikan, so she decides to take her first. Hansamu does heaps of stuff to protect her since he loves her but, cause he's only a Human and can't do much, he gets frustrated and confesses his feelings to her

Story 3: From **Cookiedoughicecream2**

Title: "Locked In"

Set in early 1800's. Hailey Nula is a former princess of a once great nation. Upon many raids she is separated from her family and in the process gains amnesia to the extent where she only knows her first name. Only after the raids end does her family(mother) realize they have lost their heir. After leaving her orphanage to travel she meets John Hijiri a rich aristocrat who takes her in eventually deciding she will be a housekeeper. His business/ personal rival, Serena Harumi, recognizes Hailey immediatly and orders for her immediate capture and hides her away as a barganing chip to her mother which still searches for her. All the while she still remains clueless as to who she is. (Her appearence would change after being captured and locked away )After realizing her true identity and having fallen for her in their short time together many months later, John manages to 'kidnap her back' .Now then he must make a desicision give Hailey back to her mother in which case tell her the truth or not tell her. All the while she is gaining back her memory bit by bit.

To the new readers, these are the options for the drama series. Vote too, please. Please include it in your reviews. :)

So, review, please?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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><p>Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and its characters are owned by its creator, Tachibana Higuchi. Only the story idea and some original characters are mine.<p>

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: To_ ejo, miimah-chan, keyheart, UniquePancakes, cookiedoughicecream2, kuroichibineko, _and_ kitty cat lysanne: _Thank you very much for the reviews. They were very much encouraging. :)

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><p>Chapter 4: Sudden Inspirations<p>

Natsume Hyuuga was never really known to be bringing just any random woman from the streets home. Sure, he gets his 'needs' once in a while. There are, after all, a lot of women who are willing candidates. But he never brings them home. Usually he brings them to a hotel room, but never to his own penthouse. He would never risk being seen by the snoopy paparazzi taking some woman home. They might get some ideas. That would put his perfect bachelor image to ruin.

So why is an oddly-dressed woman sleeping on his king-sized bed right now? He really does not know either. All throughout this night he has been doing things he normally would not think of ever doing in his lifetime. He just saved the life of a woman he just met. Hell, he does not even know where she came from or who she was! What's more, he just risked getting hurt for that. What was he thinking? What in the world came to him to intervene with other people's business? All this thinking is only making his head hurt even more.

He sat down on the white couch in front of his bed and glanced at the woman on his bed. Who is she? And what was that about him being her master that she said? If what she said had been uttered when they were in a different situation, it would have sounded erotic. But how could he thinking of that when he's practically bleeding because of actions he did not think much about? He put his head in his hands with his elbows perched on his knees as he tried recollecting the events that happened.

He came to the pub to drink, saw a strange woman getting molested, punched the molester, was stabbed by said molester with broken glass of beer from protecting the strange woman, was led by said strange woman outside in a hurry, got into his car, let the strange woman tend to his wound, drove home, brought her to his penthouse.

That doesn't make sense to him at all. There were simply so many things about what happened he could not make sense of. That already counts risking his own safety to save the strange woman.

What happened to the lunatic pervert who stabbed him? Before he knew it, the man was already unconscious on the floor. And that lack of consciousness sure lasted long. He was surprised no one came following them to his car minutes after the fight. Moreover, what did this strange woman mean when she addressed him as her master? Who is she? Where did she come from? What with those clothes, he's certain she did not come from anywhere near here.

He again looked up to observe the strange woman he has brought home. The woman was facing the wall with the open window, causing the moonlight to cast shadows on her features. With her small white hands tucked under her left cheek, she looked like a child in a peaceful slumber. But her body sure did tell him she is not a child. Her clothes apparently did not let her bodily features go unnoticed. Her short colorful woven skirt revealed much of her shapely long legs. She rubbed her legs against each other and curled to a fetal position in trying to warm herself. He stood up and took a blanket and covered her with it.

This woman sure is something. He stopped as he realized what he was doing. _What was he doing_? He never cared to make anyone comfortable before.

He stood up and looked at his odd guest, examining her features more closely. He observed the dark lashes that rested on her creamy white cheeks, her pink pouty lips and her small pert nose. Her long auburn hair was spread on his pillows, with various things tangled along with it. Feathers, ribbons, and other things he could not identify were stuck on her hair. Bangles of different sizes and colors were on her arms. Her left ankle had various anklets tied around it too.

_This woman sure wears a lot of accessories,_ he thought.

Her torn leather sandals were still on her feet. He knelt and removed it only to find it more ragged than he thought it was.

_What, did this woman walk all the way from where she came from?_

Her small feet were dirty, with dust forming a thin gray layer on her skin.

Wait. Did he just remove a person's footwear? And he even knelt! _What was he doing?_

He quickly stood up and walked towards his wardrobe to get a change of clothes. He changed to a pair of white drawstring pants and a thin white v-neck shirt. He then lied on the other side of his bed and closed his eyes as he tried to push the events of this night away from his mind. He will get his answers tomorrow. He will make sure of that.

* * *

><p>Tsubasa Andou was lounging on his leather armchair as he examined the pictures delivered to him. His feet were propped up on his huge mahogany desk, and a cigarette hung from his lips as he held the picture in his hands, smiling at the good news his investigator has brought him.<p>

_What have you got now, Hyuuga?_

On the pictures he was holding were the images of Natsume Hyuuga getting in the condominium building with a figure covered with his coat slung over his shoulder. White shapely legs that protruded from under the huge gray coat clearly indicated that it was a woman he was carrying. This is quite unusual for Hyuuga, Andou thought. He has never seen him bring a woman back to his home before. And an unconscious woman, at that.

He has put Natsume under surveillance for a while now to observe his movements. He has a suspicion that the young director/manager has something to do with the incident that involved his family three years ago. For now, he only has suspicions, but he will get to having concrete answers soon. He will make sure of that. For now, he's going to continue putting him under surveillance and see if this investigation would indeed lead to something.

He put the pictures down on his desk and glanced at the single photo frame that was on his desk. It contained a picture of a little girl, about three years old, beaming at the camera. Her amber eyes sparkled with delight and the huge smile on her face made her look like she was having the time of her life.

I will find you. Soon.

* * *

><p>Natsume Hyuuga never even got a wink of sleep that night. Just as he felt himself about to drift off to sleep after four hours since he retired to his bed, he felt himself fall on the carpeted floor of his room.<p>

_What the hell?_

He sat up, trying to get a sense of what was happening. There on his bed, the woman he brought home was soundly sleeping, with her body spread diagonally across his bed. Her right foot was dangling on the edge of his bed, with one of her arms stretched over her head while the other extended straight across the bed. The blanket he just used to cover her a while ago was already discarded and was now on the carpeted floor. The sheets were crumpled, and the pillows were strewn all over the bed in random places. He stood up and surveyed the figure on his bed. The woman was still sleeping soundly, with her mouth hanging open as she snored. Drool was seeping out the corner of her partly opened mouth.

_She's going to get her drool on my sheets. This stupid girl._

He looked at the sliding window at the side of his room and observed the dark blue skies. It was turning a shade lighter by the minute.

_Great. It's already morning and I haven't even slept. Just great._

He got up and stood at the side of his bed. He looked at the figure on his bed again and nudged her with his toe. No response. He nudged her yet again, this time stronger. Still no response. _This girl sure is a heavy sleeper_. He tried kicking her lightly. This time she turned on her side with a mumble. He was quite surprised she still wasn't awake.

"Oi, polka." He said as he nudged her back a little harder. This time he got a response.

"Just a little more, Miu." She said as she groaned.

"Oi. Wake up." He said as he nudged her yet again, with his toe ramming deeper onto her back.

"Hmmm.."

"Oi."

"Miu.."

"Oi, I said get up."

"Hmm… Miu, why are you so persistent this morning?" She opened her eyes a bit and peeked at the person who was ramming his toe on her back.

Her view was still a bit blurred from having just woken up and so she just smiled widely thinking it was her Miu.

"Good morning!" she said as she yawned and stretched her arms, revealing more of her stomach. Natsume's eyes travelled to her stomach and kicked a blanket over to cover her.

"Get up quick, polka. We have to talk."

At this Mikan's ears perked at the voice that answered her. And what was that, _polka_?

She quickly got up in a sitting position and looked at the man standing in front of her. As she recognized the man, her eyes widened as the events that happened last night came back to her.

She groaned and held her head in her hands as she tried to massage the growing headache away. She sighed and looked up to the man in front of her and again smiled.

"I'm sorry about that, master. I have forgotten the events that happened for a moment. I apologize." She said as she smiled that bright smile of hers.

"What are you saying, polka? Master? What the hell are you talking about?" Natsume inquired as he raised his eyebrows. He was still annoyed at not getting some sleep.

"I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself yet." Mikan said as she stood up and straightened her clothing a bit and knelt on the floor, with her left knuckle against her right palm in front of her chest as she bowed.

"I am Mikan Sakura, Princess of the Kamuli tribe from the beautiful plains of Makiba. I am here to obey whatever you desire, fulfill whatever you wish, master. I vow my loyalty to you, as the owner of my life, as my master, for the rest of my life. Please take care of me." She said with her head still bowed down, and her face covered by the curtain that is her long auburn hair.

"How the hell did I become your master? And Kamuli? Makiba?" Natsume further inquired, his brows furrowed in curiosity.

Mikan raised her head and looked directly into his eyes. She took a deep breath and continued to explain her condition.

"Kamuli is a tribe located in the plains of Makiba. It is quite far from the city so you probably haven't heard of it. We try not to associate much with people outside our tribe for reasons known only to the elders of our tribe." She said as she continued to look at her master from where she was kneeling.

"Sit down." Natsume said as he directed her to sit on the bed. He then sat down on the white sofa in front of his bed.

"We have a strictly followed tradition in our tribe, that whoever saves one's life, is their life's owner. You saved my life last night. I owe it to you. You are now my master, and it is my duty to serve you for the rest of my life. Even if I am the princess, I am not exempt from that tradition. It is not merely a law, it is the will of the gods. To disobey it would be going against the gods themselves." She finished, as her hands were clenched on her lap and her eyes seriously gazing at the man in front of her.

"So you're saying that you're my servant. I can tell you to do whatever I want you to do?" He stated in a manner as if declaring a statement instead of asking a question.

"Yes. Even if you wish me to kill myself, I will do it. My life was considered taken the moment it was put in danger. Do with me what you will." She replied.

_Interesting._ " Last night, what did you do to the man who attacked us?" dismissing the previous topic, he probed the question that has been bothering him since last night.

Hesitation was evident on Mikan's face as she tried to decide on whether she should tell him of the real reason behind the unconscious state of the man last night.

"Ano..I-I simply pricked him with a needle spiked with poison enough to make him unconscious for at least two hours. I did not kill him, I swear." Mikan insisted, but guilt was still apparent in her eyes. She has never used her ability to hurt other people before. Even when her tribe asked for her expertise in herbs to help them in war, she never did. She firmly believed that her ability should not be used to hurt other people.

_So that was what she did. I never expected that an idiotic girl would have tricks like that up her sleeve. So what should I do with this girl now? I don't need an addi -_

_Ring. Ring. Ring._

Mikan stood up quickly, on the alert for any animal that may attack. _He has animals in his room?_ She asked herself.

Natsume smirked inwardly at the panic evident on Mikan's face and stood up to get his mobile phone at the bedside table, forgetting what he has just been thinking of seconds before.

"Hn."

"Mr. Hyuuga, sorry for disturbing you.. I, I called to inform you that today is the deadline for you to find a replacement. Have you found someone?" the voice on the other line asked.

Shit. He forgot it was today. Shit. Shit. Shit. How was he going to get through with this? He held his head in his hands as he paced in front of his window.

"I've already got someone, but you can't see her yet. She is away on a trip and won't be back for three days."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hyuuga, but, but we have settled on the deadline already. We have to meet her as soon as possible." The voice on the line asked, an almost pleading tone apparent in his voice.

Shit. Think, Natsume, think. There's got to be something.

"She has already agreed on the role. You will meet her as soon as she returns."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hyuuga. We have already agreed on this. We really can't postpone meeting the replacement. We have to see her as soon as possible. Please understand. If, if we can't meet her right now, then perhaps it would be better if we find the replacement instead?"

He quickened his pace as he walked back and forth in front of the window. He ruffled his hair in frustration as he tried to think of a way to persuade them to give him three more days.

" I'm the director of that series. I know which actress would be best able to portray that role. If you picked the wrong one, then you could see the ratings of the show drop soon enough. I know what I'm doing. " He said, frustration now evident in his voice. Why can't these damn producers understand? The life of the drama series depends on this.

"But, but – "

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hyuuga, but our decision is final. It seems that you haven't found a replacement yet. Don't worry, we'll take care of this." A familiar voice has taken over the phone, and the line went dead.

_Damn that Andou._

* * *

><p>All this time, Mikan was looking intently at him, fascinated by what he was holding in his hand as he talked.<p>

So that's what has been making a sound. Is it an animal? Why is he talking to it?

She wondered about this as she watched the man pace around his room. When she became bored from watching, she stood up and proceeded to survey her surroundings.

_This is such a beautiful place,_ she thought. She moved towards one of the tall white lamps on one side of the bed and peered under it. _What a weird shape_. Then she saw something dangling from under the skirt-like dome of the lamp. She pulled it lightly and heard a faint click as the light was turned on.

"Wow! He has a little sun in his room!" She then continued playing with it by pulling the string repeatedly to watch the light flicker on and off. She was enjoying her self so much that she did not mind when the light was beginning to dim and flickered, and a little crackling sound can already be heard.

Then, BOOM!

Mikan screamed as she fell back to the floor, terrified of what just happened to the lamp.

At this, Natsume's head spun quickly as he turned to the source of the commotion.

_What the –_

* * *

><p>Natsume was surprised by the scream Mikan just let out and quickly turned his attention to her.<p>

_What was she doing?_

Natsume's irritation grew as his attention shifted to the woman now on the floor, looking at the lamp as if it has just talked. He stared at Mikan, her amber eyes wide with fear at what she has just done.

And that's when it occurred to him.

That innocence, that stupidity, that clumsiness, even that stupid guilty look and frown – it fits perfectly.

"I – I'm sorry. I didn't know what happened. I – " Mikan tried to explain but was cut off by Natsume's intense gaze.

"Master, is – is something wrong? I'm really sorry at what I did. Perhaps I could – "

He turned his back on her and punched numbers on his mobile phone as he called the producers he was just talking with a while ago. After a few rings, an arrogant voice answered.

"Yes? Our deci -"

"I have the replacement. She arrived just a while ago unexpectedly from her trip abroad." Natsume said, effectively cutting off what Andou was about to say.

A pause from the other line.

"Good. So we'll meet her tomorrow then?"

"Yes. Whatever time you prefer. But I have a condition."

Another pause.

"Go on." Andou finally said.

"She won't be acting for the series until after a month."

"And, why is that? Who is this replacement that you have picked? Why does she still need a month if she is suited perfectly for the role?"

"You would just have to see her for yourself. This person is important. She's not just some actress I picked out of my whim. After just arriving from abroad, she needs the time to adjust."

Another pause from Andou's end. You've got to accept this condition Andou or else -

"Okay, then. Yes, I suppose that's reasonable. There would just have to be more alterations on the script so as to allow you more time. We'll see her tomorrow noon. " Andou said.

"Hn." He replied as the conversation ended.

* * *

><p>The three other producers were apparently surprised at the sudden turn of events. They were certain that Hyuuga wasn't able to find a replacement in that short period of time. What surprised them even more was Andou's approval of Hyuuga's request.<p>

They know he's the most powerful among the four of them, and so whatever he suggests would almost readily be granted. What is Andou thinking by allowing Hyuuga that long period of time? Andou's demeanor changed all of a sudden during their conversation. What could have Hyuuga said that made him concede to his request?

The producers just shrugged and brought their attention back to the ongoing meeting. They would just have to wait, and watch what's going to happen.

* * *

><p>Natsume turned around and faced her, and looked at her yet again with that intense gaze of his. Mikan peeked at him hesitantly, as if waiting for her punishment.<p>

_This would have to do. I would just have to make sure that she acts the way I would want her to._

"Ano.." Mikan started hesitantly as she wrung her fingers at the hem of her skirt.

"You're going to do something for me." Natsume simply said, and returned to his phone as he punched numbers on the small gadget, and put it against his ear.

After a few rings, a monotonous voice answered from the other side of the line.

"Imai."

"Meet me later at ten a.m. The usual place. I need you to do something." Natsume stated his directions as he looked back to Mikan, who was now looking at him curiously.

"And how much will I be paid?"

" A hundred thousand yen after the work is done."

"Make it a hundred and fifty."

"Tch."

"Make it quick, Hyuuga. You're wasting my time."

"Fine."

And then the conversation was over.

He turned to Mikan and walked towards her. With his six feet frame, he towered over her easily. She gulped and looked up to him nervously.

"Ano, master –" Mikan started as she stepped backwards to distance herself.

"Do not call me master whenever there are people. From now on, you will call me onii-sama."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I hope you liked the chapter. :)<p>

Review, please?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and its characters are owned by its creator, Tachibana Higuchi. Only the story idea and some original characters are mine.<p>

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: The Meeting with Hotaru Imai<p>

"O- Onii-sama?" Mikan tilted her head to one side as she asked in confusion. _What does that mean?_ She asked herself.

So many things have happened since she has arrived in the city. She just almost got herself killed and was saved and now she got herself a master. And now, that master is asking her to call him "older brother".

"Does that mean that Master wants me to be his little sister?" she asked. She pondered this for a while and thought that perhaps it won't be so bad. She had an older brother before, but she doesn't know where he is anymore. Her memories of him are very few and hazy, so she can't really remember him that much.

_Will I be a good imouto to Master? I wonder why he wants me to be his little sister. Perhaps Master lost his little sister and he misses her so much, that's why he's asking me to be his little sister for now._ Those were the thoughts that have been running through her mind as she pondered her situation.

"That's only when we're outside. In here, you're still my servant."

And, without warning, Natsume leaned down and pressed his palms to the wall right behind Mikan, trapping her between his arms. Mikan looked up to him in confusion.

"Wha- what do you mean?" Her eyes widened as she saw him leaning lower down to her face. She pressed her eyes shut as she felt his hot breath on her face. _Gods, what is he doing?_ She thought in panic.

"That means I can still do whatever I want with you when we're alone," he whispered in a raspy voice. "_Polka_." he ended with a smirk.

At this, Mikan's eyes flew open. Her face was all red from blushing profusely, and she was already glaring at the man just inches from as she tried to punch him in order to escape from his arms. Unluckily for her, Natsume was much stronger and before she could hit his chest, he grasped both of her wrists as he looked directly into her eyes. Mikan just glared at him.

"Let me go." She spat.

"It seems we're forgetting a few things here. Who's the master again?" he asked as a sly smile curved his lips.

"You- you are." Mikan assented as she bowed her head to not meet his eyes.

Natsume grasped both her wrists above her head in one hand as he used his other hand to tilt her face up again to meet his eyes. Her glare was not as strong as it did just a few moments earlier.

"Good. At least you remember your place. Now be a good girl, Polka." He simply said as he let her go and headed to the bathroom.

Mikan just slid down to the floor with her back to the wall as she took a deep breath. She was unaware she was holding her breath all through that. She sighed as she looked up to the ceiling, as if asking it to open up and ask the heaven to just take her. She closed her eyes as she sighed for the second time.

_Looks like I ended up with pervert for a Master, after all. This is going to be difficult for me. And why was my heart beating so fat just now? Gods, why did you bring me here? Why does it have to be him who is my master? Oh, gods, I'm going to need all the help you could give me. Please, help me find my real mother soon._

* * *

><p>Tsubasa Andou's attention was never on the meeting in the least bit. All throughout the meeting, as he sat there with his chin on his knuckle, pretending to listen, his mind was wandering off back to the conversation he just had with Natsume Hyuuga.<p>

_You would just have to see her for yourself. This person is important. She's not just some actress I picked out of my whim. After just arriving from abroad, she needs the time to adjust._

So Hyuuga says. Why did this "actress" arrive from abroad all of a sudden? What made Hyuuga pick her as the replacement? Why can't she act until after a month? _To adjust,_ so he says. That is a pretty lame excuse he has come up with, to be honest. He is hiding something, I know it. Just what is he planning? And most importantly, just who is this "actress", really?

_This person is important._

That sentence from Hyuuga had him intrigued the most. This is rather strange to hear from a person like Natsume. Based on how he has known the young director, he never considers anyone important. Even when he was working with the most popular actors in the industry, he treats them all the same. He never considers a single one of them "important". There was never a special treatment.

_So what's with all the fuss for this actress?_

Then the image of the woman hidden beneath a coat on Natsume's back from the photo his investigator sent him flashed through his mind. His eyes widened as he came upon a realization.

_Could it possibly be?_

No, it can't be. He would never put that person in that position. He has succeeded in hiding her for years, why expose her to the public now? And to star in his drama series, that would only gain her more attention.

But, the timing is just too convenient. That mysterious woman appears one day and Natsume comes up with an actress the next day, at the last minute.

Something's definitely going on here.

He then excused himself from the meeting and went outside, fishing for his mobile phone from his coat pocket as he dialed the number of his investigator.

"Tighten the surveillance on Natsume Hyuuga. If another person comes out of his penthouse with him, put that person under strict surveillance as well." He ordered to the person on the line and flipped the phone shut as he stalked out of his office, and out of the building to his car, and drove home.

* * *

><p>Mikan looked up as Natsume emerged minutes later from the bathroom, wearing only a pair of form-fitting jeans as he toweled his black hair. He then went to his closet and extracted a paper bag and tossed it to Mikan.<p>

"Get dressed. We're going outside." He simply said as he returned to his closet and chose a gray v-neck shirt and a black coat.

"Why? I'm already dressed." She said as she peered into the paper bag and pulled out a white blouse with a broad collar trimmed with two green strips of cloth and a red ribbon at the base of the v-shaped neckline in front of the blouse. She held it up before her.

_What strange clothes,_ she thought.

"You can't go outside wearing that. Hurry up and change." He said as he surveyed her woven skirt and top. This will only attract a lot of attention. _Good thing I kept that spare school uniform in here,_ he thought as he turned his back and stooped to pick up his white loafers.

"Neh, Master, where are we going?" she asked as she held up a green plaited skirt and put it down to search further in the paper bag.

"Just hurry up and get dressed. Quit asking questions."

"But –"

"Just get – " Natsume stopped midsentence as he turned around and saw Mikan on the floor in only her panties, pulling her woven top over her head. When she got it off, her eyes grew wide as she saw him looking down on her naked self. She immediately clutched her woven top to her chest as she sputtered,

"I- idiot! Why did you turn around? You.. you..P – _pervert!_" she exclaimed with her whole face red as a tomato and her hands firmly clutching the piece of clothing in front of her chest.

Natsume just turned his back around again, a slight blush creeping up to his face.

"You're the idiot. Who told you to undress here and not in the bathroom?"

He barely even finished when he heard the slam of his bathroom door._ That girl._ _There was not even much to see anyway._ He thought as he went to his bedside table and got his car keys.

* * *

><p>Mikan sat stiff as a board at his car's passenger seat, her hands firmly clutching the edge of her skirt as she looked outside of his car window. She can't believe the man beside her just saw her half-naked moments earlier. It was the first time anyone other than her Miu has seen her naked before.<p>

_I've lost my dignity. I'm not pure anymore. Now I won't ever get married. No man would accept a woman like me,_ She kept telling herself. Tears were now threatening to fall from the corners of her eyes.

She wasn't naked that time, actually. She was still wearing her panties, and a white strip of cloth that served as her bra was still on her chest. It was simply just the first time that she felt so exposed in front of a man she barely knew.

Natsume was looking at her at the corner of his eye as he drove.

"You're over reacting. I did not even see anything." He said, as he waited for a reaction from the woman beside him. The uniform fits her perfectly. Except perhaps for the skirt, which seemed a little too short. It was even shorter than the woven skirt she was wearing before.

Looking at her right now, with her long auburn hair falling loosely down her back and the sailor _fuku_ she was wearing, people would surely automatically assume she is a high school student. Now that he thinks about it, he does not even know how old she is already. By the looks of her body, she would be around eighteen, but with her face, it is so easy to mistake her for around twelve or fourteen years old. He makes a mental note to ask her age later.

"You- you really didn't see anything?" she asked hesitantly as she peered up to him.

"There wasn't anything to see in the first place anyway." He muttered as he smirked, not taking his eyes off the road.

Mikan heard this and glared at him, while a slight blush was creeping up to her face yet again. _Patience, Mikan. Patience_. This is your Master you're talking to. She repeatedly told herself as she clenched her fists tighter and as she tried to force a smile on her face.

"How old are you anyway? Twelve?" he said, taunting her further. He really is enjoying teasing this girl. He chanced a glance at her as he rounded a corner, and found the girl already fuming.

_He really did it this time_, she thought. "I'm not twelve! I turned nineteen this year!" she exclaimed as she turned in her seat to face him. Her cheeks were a deep shade of red, and her mouth was in a beautiful pout as she glared at the man in front of her.

"Fine, fine. Whatever. _Polka_." he said, stressing the embarrassing nickname to tease her further.

"Do not call me …P- Polka! I have a name. It's Mikan! M-I-K-A-N! Mikan!" she insisted, her demeanor not changing a bit.

Natsume just smirked. Oh, he's really enjoying teasing this girl with him, that's for sure. He then rounded another corner and before long, he skidded his car to a halt in front of a small café at the base of an old-looking building.

Mikan turned to her window and looked outside to observe the building.

"Where are we, Master?" she said as she noted the creeping trellises on the red brick wall, the fading letters on the huge picture window, the torn doormat in front of a French door, up to the iron railings of balconies on the upper floors, each with its own cream-curtained window and wooden door.

She did not notice that Natsume already stepped out of the car and was now heading to the door of the café. He looked back once and just looked at her as if telling, "What the hell are you still doing there?", and just went in without looking back once again to check if she indeed followed him.

"W- wait!" Mikan hurriedly exclaimed as she scrambled out of the car and hastily slammed it shut. She then ran inside the small café and looked for him. She found him by a small counter which serves as a miniature bar and cashier, talking to a thin old man who was wearing horn-rimmed glasses wiping off a few white tea cups.

She looked around her to observe her surroundings. There were a few round tables covered with white dainty table cloths. There are thin vases each containing a single lily on each table. The chairs are wooden too, with wrought iron backs painted black. There were a few potted plants in the room, and a few bookshelves lining one side of the wall. Paintings of flowers and places were hung on the walls as well.

The café was almost bare, save for a middle-aged woman sitting by a corner table, sipping a cup of coffee while reading a book, and a slim young man reading a newspaper at yet another corner.

"Oi, Polka. Come here." She heard Natsume call him as she turned around to see him. He was already climbing up the stairs at the back part of the café. She did not notice that there was actually a flight of stairs there.

She immediately followed him, with her eyes still roaming around her surroundings. Soon enough, after climbing at least three flights of stairs, she found herself at a small corridor. The corridor has the same wallpaper as the café – cream colored with fading white stripes and small gardenias. The wallpaper was even more torn at this corridor though.

She followed Natsume walk up to a wooden door at the end of the corridor, and watched him knock three times. He did not wait for a response and simply turned the brass knob and entered. She followed him walk into a well-lit room.

The room was huge, and was well furnished, compared to what she has seen at the café and the corridors she passed. The wallpaper was immaculately white, and she saw white diaphanous curtains fluttering as a gust of wind entered from the open balcony door. The floor was fully covered by a cream carpet. There was a tall grandfather clock at one corner, a huge wooden armoire by a wall, beside a queen-sized four poster bed covered with cream-colored quilts. There was a dresser too, and another door at another corner in the room.

Then she saw the white round table in the middle of the room, heavily laden with breakfast. There behind the round table, sat the most beautiful woman she has ever seen, sipping a cup of tea.

"What do you want now, Hyuuga?" the raven haired woman with the amethyst eyes asked him tonelessly.

"Contact the best make-up artists, fashion experts, and etiquette teachers you know in this industry immediately. I need them now." He ordered, while he shrugged off his coat and sat on a nearby couch.

"Manners, Hyuuga. You haven't even introduced us yet." She said as she eyed the uniform-clad Mikan who was standing awkwardly by the door.

"Ano – " Mikan started.

"That's Mikan, my sister." Natsume interrupted before she could even introduce herself.

Mikan just looked at him with wide eyes. She almost forgot that she was supposed to be his younger sister outside.

"A- ah! That's right. O – onii-sama." She said in a soft voice.

Hotaru just looked at them with bland eyes, never betraying one bit of what she could possibly be thinking.

"Your sister, huh? I never knew you had one."

"Hn."

"Come here, Mikan. Sit down." She said as she directed her to sit at the chair on her right side.

Mikan did as she was told. She sat down, and was met by the enormous amount of food on the table. Croissants, baguettes nad other kinds of bread were piled on baskets on the table. There were other pastries as well, and some pancakes, with creamy butter smeared on top and an abundant amount of maple syrup glazing it over. She almost drooled with the amount of food she was seeing in front of her. Then she heard a grumbling sound.

She looked up to see both her master and the woman she just met looking at her. It seems it was her stomach grumbling.

"A-ah..eto.." she said as she looked down on her lap, embarrassed at the sound of protest from her stomach.

"Go on, help yourself." Hotaru said.

She looked up to find the amethyst-eyed woman, amusement fleeting through her eyes. It was gone before she could even recognize it.

"Re-really?" she asked. Now that she remembered it, she was really hungry. She hasn't even eaten last night.

The woman just nodded.

"Thank you!" she beamed, as she took a piece of bread from the basket.

"Wow! This is really good!" Her eyes practically shone as she gobbled up the piece of bread. You would think she was eating the most delicious food in the world. She continued to eat, forgetting her reservations as she satisfied her hunger.

"Looks like you haven't been feeding your sister well, Hyuuga." She remarked, letting amusement play on her eyes.

"Shut up, Imai." He simply said as he slouched on the couch._ Shit._ He forgot to give her something to eat. He rarely eats a proper meal that he forgot that other people actually need to eat three times a day. For him, one or two would have been enough.

"How about you? Won't you help yourself?" she said, and then sipped from her cup of tea.

"Shut up."

Mikan heard parts of the conversation while she was eating. She thought she felt some kind of tension building up and thought that she should say something.

"Oh, it's my fault, really. I was so tired last night that I forgot to eat," She said, which is true. "Thank you so much for this wonderful food, Miss – "

"Just call me Hotaru." She said, letting a little smile grace her lips.

"Thank you, Hotaru." She said as she smiled that big smile of hers.

"What was it again that you need, Hyuuga?" Hotaru said as she turned to Natsume who was still sitting on the couch.

"Get the best make-up artists, fashion experts and etiquette teachers you know in this industry. I need them today."

"And my compensation?"

"Darn it, Imai."

"You know my rules."

"Tch."

"How much?"

"Fine. A hundred thousand yen after the work on her is done."

"I almost forgot, we agreed on a hundred and fifty thousand yen when you called, am I right?"

"Hn."

"And what about the expenses?"

"I'll take care of it."

"Good. So that's a hundred and eighty thousand yen, in total."

"Ye- where did the thirty thousand yen come from?"

"When you called. My time is very expensive."

"Fine. Whatever."

And their conversation ended just like that. Hotaru then turned to Mikan, who was just about through eating her breakfast.

"So, Mikan. How long have you been staying with your_ brother_?" she asked, stressing the last word for Natsume's benefit. Mikan does not seem to catch it.

"Well-"

"That's none of your business, Imai. Just do what I told you to do." Natsume cut in, irritation evident on his face.

"Shut up, Hyuuga. I'm talking to Mikan, not you." She curtly addressed him, without taking her eyes off Mikan.

Mikan just looked anxiously to Natsume's direction, but he wouldn't look at her.

"We – well, I just arrived last night. That was the reason why I have been so tired and I was unable to eat." She said carefully. Well, that's still the truth. She doesn't think she could lie to this person in front of her. She likes her already, even when they just met.

"I see. Where did you come from?"

"I –"

"She just arrived from the Philippines last night. She has been staying there for almost five years." Natsume butted in, before Mikan could finish.

"Oh." Hotaru simply said, her bland expression not changing a bit.

"Just do what I asked you to do. We don't have the time." He gruffly said, impatience now lacing his tone.

"Patience, Hyuuga. Patience."

Hotaru then stood up, her black skirt falling down to her knees, and went to a nearby dresser to get her mobile phone. Mikan observed that it was different from what Natsume had. It was, well, bigger, and, odd-looking may be the word to describe it. It has a weird small umbrella at the end of its antennae, with, wait, was that a duck's foot at its base?

Hotaru just pressed a few buttons. Then she waited for a while. When she turned around to face them, she was still wearing that same bland expression.

"They'll arrive in an hour."

"Hn." That was fast. Well, this is Imai, after all.

The End

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><p>Author's Note: Sorry for the very late update..School and part-time work is eating me up.. I promise to update as soon as I get my laptop back. :)<p>

So, review, please?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: Gakuen Alice and its characters are owned by its creator, Tachibana Higuchi. Only the story idea and some original characters are mine.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I'm really sorry for the late update. I got my laptop back now, by the way, so I may be (maybe, okay?) regularly now. :) Anyways, I hope you'll like this chapter.

Thank you for those who reviewed, by the way. It means a lot to me. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Tortures and Acquaintances<strong>

An uncomfortable silence filled the room as Hotaru continued sipping her cup of tea while Natsume returned to his seat on the couch and closed his eyes. Mikan just sat there, looking from one to the other, as she tried to process what has just transpired.

"A-ano, onii-sama, who are going to arrive?" Mikan asked Natsume, who opened one of his eyes for a moment to look at her, then closed it again as if he heard nothing.

"You'll see when they arrive." He simply said after a while.

Then the awkward silence again engulfed the room. Hotaru seems to have extracted her laptop from a nearby dressing table and was now beginning to type on its keyboard. All that could be heard in the room were the tapping noises on Hotaru's laptop and the distant sound of traffic outside.

Mikan is very uncomfortable, and thus she felt the need to break the silence by trying to start up a conversation.

"So, Hotaru, how long have you been friends with onii-sama?" she asked, thinking this would be a good conversation starter. Hotaru was taking a sip from her drink when she asked this, and had Mikan looked closer, she would have noticed Hotaru almost choke on what she was drinking.

Hotaru gently laid down her teacup as she regained her composure and looked Mikan in the eye, her bland expression still plastered on her face.

"We're not friends." She simply said, before returning to what she was doing on her laptop.

Mikan was not expecting that. So much for striking a conversation. Mikan looked toward the direction of Natsume, who was still lounging on the couch. His eyes were still closed. _Is he sleeping?_

Mikan, being the persistent girl that she was, was not satisfied with Hotaru's answer.

"If you're not friends," she asked with her brows furrowed in confusion, "what are you?" she asked.

This time Natsume opened his eyes, glaring at Mikan. Hotaru simply paused on what she was doing for a little while, then resumed to it.

I_f you're not friends, what are you? _Good question, Mikan. If only they themselves knew the answer to that. Natsume and Hotaru have known each other for a long time. It dated back to their childhood, for their fathers were very good friends. Natsume's father is the CEO of a television station, whereas Hotaru's father is a business tycoon in the field of technology.

Her father died only two years ago, and so the management of their empire was left to her hands earlier than expected. Since then, their company continued to flourish because of her knack for technology. Their parents were not only friends, they were business partners. Their fields were very closely related that they were able to advance their own fields through the help of each other.

As to Natsume and Hotaru, though they have known each other from childhood, there was never a time they explicitly addressed each other as friends. There was a time when they became rivals when they were students, but never friends. Nevertheless, like their parents, they continue to deal with each other for certain 'services' that the other could provide. Of course, nothing is free. This is most especially true when it comes to Hotaru Imai.

So, were they friends? Not necessarily. Perhaps 'Business Partners' would be the term relatively near to describing the kind of relationship they have. Still, this is still quite very far from the kind of relationship they have. No one knows, for sure. Not even them, one would suppose.

So again, Mikan does not get any answer. She only succeeded in eliciting a glare from her "brother" and the little pause from what Hotaru was doing, signalling the little attention she gave.

Again, the room was ensconced in an awkward silence. This silence is very awkward for Mikan, but the two does not seem to mind.

"Hotaru, I know you're not friends with onii-sama, but, is it okay if we become friends?" Mikan bravely asked, this time somewhat expecting a rejection from the raven-haired woman.

Hotaru looked up from her laptop, and this time, when she looked at Mikan, a little smile graced her lips for the second time that day.

"Sure."

Mikan's face lit up upon hearing her answer and she herself smiled that big smile of hers. Hotaru on the other hand has resumed what she was doing on her laptop.

"Really, Hotaru? I'm so glad!" she exclaimed as she stood up and headed toward Hotaru, intending to give her a hug. However, before she was even inches away from her, a bright red thing suddenly punched her in the face, sending her reeling to the floor as she nursed her aching cheek.

"What was that?" she asked as she peered up at Hotaru through teary eyes.

"Don't." was the simple reply she got from Hotaru.

By then she was already returning the suspicious-looking red gun back to the satchel by the foot of her chair.

_What was that?_ Mikan kept wondering to herself. For some reason, she is not sure if something touched her, but it sure did hurt.

She peered back at Natsume, who was still lounging on the couch with his eyes closed. Maybe he is indeed sleeping.

Mikan stood up and headed back to the chair she was just occupying. Now what to do? Neither of the two would look at her, nor pay attention to her. She tried striking up a conversation, but to no avail. Just then she heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" she exclaimed, happy that finally there is something she could do. She bounded to her feet and went to the door to open it.

"Hello, I came here for Ms. Imai." A tall man with straight black hair primly greeted her as she opened the door. He was tall and lanky, but his posture was very straight. His eyes were the color of gray, and a pair of slim horn-rimmed spectacles was perched on his prominent nose. His mouth was set grimly into a thin line. Without knowing it, Mikan felt herself quite afraid of this tall man in front of her.

"Uh, good morning, mister. Please come in." Mikan bowed as she led him in the room.

Hotaru stood up and walked toward the guest. "It's good that you were able to come even at short notice, Jinno-sensei." Hotaru said as they shook hands.

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Imai. This is the least I could do to repay your kindness to our school." The tall man Hotaru called 'Jinno-sensei' replied.

"I see. The reason I called your presence here is for you to be the etiquette instructor of Ms. Hyuuga here. Teach her of the proper etiquette and manners of a lady. There is no need to hold back in teaching her because of my presence. Teach her like you would any student."

Jinno seems to be pleased with this and let a little smile grace his lips as he nodded his assent. "Of course." he said.

Natsume seems to have already woken up from his slumber and stood up to meet the guest with a simple nod. He then headed to Hotaru to address a mistake he has heard.

"It's Mikan _Sakura_, got it?" he muttered.

"I suppose you heard it, Jinno-sensei?" Hotaru asked Jinno.

"Yes, of course. Understood."

Natsume then went to Mikan's side and pulled her to the dining table in the middle of the room and shoved her to a seat.

"You can begin now," he said. "Teach her proper manners on the dining table and on making introductions. Teach her everything she must know to make a good impression. I expect her to at least know how to appear like a lady by noon."

"Understood. Now, please excuse me. We shall begin." He said as he took out what turned out to be a wooden ruler, and smiled down at Mikan.

For some reason, Mikan found herself gulp in nervousness. This is going to be a long and difficult day.

* * *

><p><em>Slam!<em>

"Sit up straighter!"

_Slam!_

"No, that's not the proper way to hold a spoon!"

_Slam!_

"Don't blow it like that! What are you doing?_"_

_Slam!_

"Your legs! What are you trying to do, attract a fly with those legs wide open?"

_Slam!_

"Walk properly! No, not like that. You look like you a duck waddling."

_Slam!_

Mikan sat up straight after hearing the sound of the wooden ruler slam on the table for the nth time in the last two hours.

"Could you please stop doing that?" she asked exasperatedly, as she held her head in her hands with her elbows on the table.

Jinno-sensei roughly removed her elbows off the table, causing her chin to smack hard on the table.

"Ow!"

"You were saying?" Jinno-sensei said, his eyes a dangerously sharp, his mouth set in a thin line.

"No-nothing, sir."

"You may take a break. We will resume your training after fifteen minutes." He curtly said before turning his back to go to the toilet.

Mikan was tired. Perhaps tired would not be the correct word. She's _exhausted_. All throughout those two hours of training with Jinno-sensei, she almost wanted to just end her life. He was killing her!

Don't do this, don't do that..blah blah blah. Why does she have to do this anyway? This is more difficult than the training for combat that she had back in the tribe. Jinno is worse than her oji-chan! And she thought that her oji-chan was already the worst teacher that she had.

She sighed as she sunk lower on the chair she was sitting on, peeking sideways to check that Jinno isn't looking. She cast a sideways glance on Natsume, who was presently writing on a little notebook. Hotaru on the other hand was still typing away on her keyboard. Neither of them seems to be aware of her misery.

"Onii-sama, when are we going home?" she asked, her pleading eyes directed at Natsume.

Natsume looked up to meet her eyes momentarily, then went back to what he was doing in that little journal of his.

"Hn."

"I'm so tired. Why do I have to do this, nii-san? Please, let's go home!" she wailed.

Natsume looked up again, this time casting her a glare. "We're going home when I say so. You're complaining? We seem to be forgetting a few things here, _polka_." He said the last word in a whisper.

Mikan immediately shut her mouth and closed her eyes. She sighed the longest sigh that she could and tried to sit back up.

She has to do this. She can't say no. What bad luck that she has this person as a master. This man is a masochist. He could be worse than Jinno-sensei, she thought grimly.

She sat up straight immediately as soon as she heard the slam of the bathroom door. Sigh. _Here comes the torture again..._

"Stand up and wear this."

"Huh?" she asked, as she looked to the direction of Jinno.

Jinno was holding up what looked to be straps of a backpack, but thicker and without a bag attached, and a pair of high heels. Tucked under his armpit was a book.

Uh-oh. _What is he going to do with that?_

"I said stand up and wear this." Jinno repeated, this time with a hint of impatience on his voice. A vein could be seen faintly throbbing on his forehead.

"Huh? Me?" she asked, pointing to herself after looking sideways.

Jinno lost his patience and just dragged Mikan up from the chair. He then slid the backpack-like straps through her arms and strapped it around her shoulders.

"Ow!" Mikans exclaimed as Jinno tightened the straps. Because of the straps, her shoulders were forced back, her chest stuck out, and her stomach pulled in. Jinno then knelt and put the three-inch heels on her tiny feet. Mikan almost lost her balance in the process.

After finishing putting it on her feet, Jinno stood up and stepped back. "Walk." He ordered.

Mikan tried to do as he asked, but on the first step, her knees wobbled due to the slim heels and fell down.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Mikan groaned in pain when she landed roughly on the floor.

"Stand up." Jinno ordered. After she was back on her feet through the aid of the nearby chair, she again tried to walk, this time succeeding on two steps.

"I did it! I – "

_Crash!_

Plates fell from the dining table as she grabbed on its table cloth to try and keep her balance.

"Stand up. Again."

Mikan groaned.

* * *

><p>The next one and a half hour was spent like that, trying to perfect a simple walk. Later on, Jinno added another burden for the poor girl by placing a three-inch hard-bound book balanced on her head. Mikan tried to walk without making the book fall, to no avail. What's worse, Jinno even made her pick up the book while wearing those ridiculous heels.<p>

_Really, why do these shoes have to have sticks underneath?_ She asked herself in frustration.

It was around noon that she was able to walk a decent walk, without letting the book fall. However, Jinno was obviously not satisfied. She was still lacking in grace, in his opinion.

It was around that time too, when they heard a knock on the door. Natsume stood up to open it.

For a moment, he just stood there, frozen. Tension built up in the room. A dark aura could almost be seen emanating from Natsume's body.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled.

"My, is that the way you greet old friends?" The man from the door gaily answered, followed by a chuckle.

This only seemed to infuriate the young director even more.

"Imai. Explain this."

"Wouldn't you even let us in? Where are your manners?" The man outside interjected.

"Uh, h-hello, Natsume-san. It's been a while." A girl with soft feminine voice greeted.

Natsume still stood rooted to his position, not moving an inch.

"Imai." He growled.

This time, Hotaru looked up, finally addressing the irate young man. "What? You asked for the best didn't you?" she said in her cold voice, then resumed to what she was doing on her laptop.

"Hello there, Hotaru! So nice of you to invite me to this little reunion." The man said, this time barging past Natsume into the room.

He was tall and slim, with shining blond hair and bright purple eyes. He was clad in a white frilly shirt and black slacks, with smart leather shoes on his feet and an olive green beret perched on his head.

"It' not a reunion, Narumi. You're here to work." Hotaru blandly answered, without even sparing him a single glance.

"Ah, stoic as always. I have Nobara here with me, by the way. We met at the cafe downstairs."

"Ah, hello, Imai-san. It's good to see you again." The petite and slender woman who came in with Narumi greeted her. She has short curly blue hair and a pair of icy blue eyes. She was smiling timidly, her hands primly folded in front of her.

"Darn it, Imai." Natsume muttered as he shut the door and walked back to the couch he was previously occupying. He then took out his journal to continue what he was writing.

Jinno cleared his throat, to gain the designer's attention.

"If you would please excuse us, we are doing something here. Kindly take a seat." Jinno said, the hospitable intent in his words lost in the tone he used. Mikan just stood there uncomfortably, still in her high heels, watching the two people who just arrived in earnest.

Narumi finally took notice of her as Jinno was speaking. "Oh, and who might this beautiful young woman be?" Narumi asked, and in a second, he was beside Mikan, holding her hand to his lips. "May I know your name, young miss?" he asked, and followed it with a wink.

"Uh, a- ano.."

"Don't touch her." Natsume interfered, standing up as he did so to break Narumi's grasp.

Narumi only looked from Mikan's bewildered look, to Natsume's dark look, then back again.

"Don't tell me, you finally found yourself a girlfriend? But, why, she's too young and cute to be - !"

By now Natsume was firmly grasping Narumi's wrist, as if trying to block the passage of blood in his veins. Narumi's face slightly contorted in pain. Mikan saw the look on his face and tried to stop Natsume by tugging on his arm.

"O- onii-sama!" Mikan exclaimed. Natsume let go immediately and went back to his couch.

"A- ara? You are his sister?" he asked, a confused look on his face.

"Ye –yes." Mikan answered, her face still slightly red from Narumi's earlier assumption.

"Oooh, I didn't know you have one, Natsume. " he said, a sly smile on his lips.

"Shut up." Natsume snarled, and closed his eyes as he massaged the bridge of his nose.

"This is _interesting_." Narumi said, a mischievous look on his face as he faced Mikan. "I think we're going to get along _really_ well." He told her, still with that sly smile on her face.

Mikan just looked at him quizzically, not at all aware of what was happening between this strange man and her "older brother", Natsume.

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: So, that's it folks. Sorry again for the late update. The writing style is bland, I know. I did this in a hurry because I know it's rare that I get in the mood (AND have the time) to write new chapters nowadays. I'll edit it when I have the time. :)

So, what do you think of this chap?

Review, please? :)

*Maybe I'll be encouraged to squeeze the time to write a new chapter in my tight schedule. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Makeover

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><p>The bright sun filtered through the diaphanous curtains covering his windows, casting a warm glow in the room. He could hear the distant sounds of their little village coming to life, with the crows of the roosters and the sound of brooms sweeping the soil. The sound of an axe hitting wood can already be heard, as well as the chatter of people preparing to leave for the stream. The day was off to a good start, with no commotion whatsoever bothering the peaceful morning. Everything was so peaceful, so orderly, that he cannot but help feel unnerved by the normalcy of it all.<p>

As he sat there on his carved wooden desk, his wrinkled chin perched on his calloused hands, he closed his eyes as he again strained to hear what he has been longing to hear in the past hours.

But there was none.

It should have been around this time that she would come in bursting through his room, surprising the hell out of him with her loud cheerful greeting for the morning. It should have been hours before that he should have heard the laughter of children beneath his window, as a certain girl played with them while going through about her duties for that day. It should have been hours ago that he should have heard a clattering of pots in the kitchen, or a loud shout from the cook, along with some of the work men laughing as a certain brunette sprinted from the kitchen to bring him his breakfast.

But there was none.

He could almost hear it, yet as he strained his ear to hear it, he could not pretend that there it is.

It would be a moment before he would have to face his people, and explain where his granddaughter has been off to.

If only he could tell them where she really has been off to.

He woke in the middle of the night last night when he heard a distant sound from a tree outside his room. Of course it could only be one of the animals roaming about their small village, or it could only be the wind - but he knew better.

He got out from bed and went to the window to inspect outside. And there, he saw what he has been expecting to see all week - his granddaughter alighting from a tree and running towards the woods. He knew he should have stopped her, he knew he should have alerted the guards to come after her. And yet he just stood there as he watched her retreating figure, not making a move to go after her.

He knew she would do this. He knows her very well that he knew what her next actions would be. After the last attack from the village, he knew that it would come to this. He knew that she would take matters to her own hands.

He knows she's old enough, but he cannot help but be worried for that clumsy granddaughter of his. He knows where she went, and he knows why she went there, but he cannot help but be worried. He knows her very well, and he knows with that naive personality of hers, she would attract trouble wherever she goes. She already attracts trouble here in their rural village as it is, who knows what kind of trouble she would attract in the city?

He sighed for the fourth time that morning.

There can be no helping it. He knew this would happen sooner or later. There is nothing he could do more about it but to pray to the gods to not let her go astray, and to protect her wherever she may be right now. He would have to visit the shrine later, and ask his people to offer their prayers to the gods that they protect the princess in her journey.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

He opened his eyes and turned from his seat to the direction of his opened oak door. There stood one of his apprentices, now serving as the personal guard to his granddaughter, sweat glistening on his forehead and a worried look on his young features.

"Lakan, the princess is missing. I have been searching for her all morning when I found her missing from her room but - "

"Take a while to breath, Taro. I know where she is." he answered calmly, the worry etched on his face a few moments ago now completely gone on his countenance.

Taro wiped the trickling seat on his forehead and scratched his ruffled brown hair. "Yo - you do? Where is she? I have to - "

"Hush, Taro. She is not in this village anymore. She has gone on an important journey." The Lakan interjected calmly as he stood from his desk and approached him.

"I - I see, Lakan. Why did she not inform me? I should have been able to prepare to come with her to assist her in this journey." he looked down to his feet as he took off his woven cap and squeezed it in his hands.

"It's alright, Taro. She has to do this on her own. You may leave now. Go assist the cook in the kitchen in the meanwhile."

"As you wish, Lakan." Taro made a move to depart, but stopped midway and looked back to the old man he revered.

"Lakan, what about the prince from the other village? Should I send a messenger to inform him that the princess is missing?" Taro asked.

"There is no need. I am sure he will visit later in the day. I will handle it myself." The Lakan replied calmly, not a sign of worry etched on his face.

"I – I understand. I will be off now, sir." Taro said as he bowed down, and departed silently from the Lakan's chambers.

_-o0o-_

"A- ano, Nobara-chan, what is this for?" Mikan said as she held up a silver lash curler, looking at it in mystification. They were still currently in Hotaru's hotel room, sitting on one of the window seats as Nobara prepared the make-up tools that she brought, taking out brushes and compacts from her small utility box. A curtain divider was placed on the western side of the room where the armoire and the dresser was placed, with the bathroom door just a few steps from window seat they were occupying.

She was in the process of extracting a make-up palette when Mikan asked her this, and she smiled in her direction. She really is so cute and innocent, she thought.

"That's a lash curler, Mikan-chan. It helps open up your eyes."She said kindly in that soft voice of hers, a hint of amusement and wonder twinkling in her eyes.

"But I can open my eyes normally. Do some people really need help to open their eyes in the morning when they wake up?" she asked as she tilted her head, her face an expression of being deep in thought as she imagined a person reaching out for this tool when they wake up, and then prying their eyes open with the scissor-like contraption. "Wouldn't it hurt?" she asked worriedly.

Nobara laughed as she tried to picture what Mikan was saying. Her eyes crinkled as she chuckled, a soft musical laughter wafting to Mikan's ears. "No, Mikan. Here, let me show you how it will be used." She said as she moved closer to her and took the lash curler gently from her grasp. She then asked her to not close her eyes as she carefully slid her lashes through the lash curler and crimped it. Mikan did as she was told and waited for Nobara to finish.

"There. You already have long lashes so this isn't really necessary. But still it looks good on you, your lashes appear longer." Nobara said, as she held Mikan's chin on her hands and tilted her face slightly to look at different angles of her face.

She has been thinking of what kind of make up to put on her. Since she was told that Mikan is going to star in a drama series, she assumed that she would have to look sophisticated and elegant. But then, that would mean she has to make her look more mature.

Maybe that is what the director would want. She really did not receive any specific instruction so she's not really sure what to do. Oh well, guess she would just go with her first assumption. She then started working, chatting up with Mikan to entertain her.

But, as it is, it turns out that she is the one being entertained by Mikan, with her stories and with her out of this world ideas. When she was talking, Nobara can't help but feel that the innocent girl in front of her is making her see things in a different light.

"Nobara-chan, where did Narumi-sensei go?" Mikan asked, interrupting Nobara's thoughts. She has observed that it has been quiet for a while. Moments ago, Jinno-sensei has announced that their training would end for now and has already left after gaining Natsume's approval.

Narumi was still there moments ago when Jinno left and Mikan has just noticed recently that it has been awfully quiet again in the room without the sound of Narumi's voice irritating the hell out of Natsume. Hotaru, on the other hand, left a little while ago to attend an important business of their company.

"I think he left for a while to fetch some clothes from his van downstairs. He's going to dress you after all when I'm done with your make-up." Nobara replied as she picked up a sponge and a bottle of liquid foundation.

"I see. Nobara-chan, have you known onii-sama and Hotaru for a long time now?" Mikan asked.

"Yes. We were schoolmates back in high school and college. Narumi was our senpai back then." Nobara said thoughtfully as she smiled, as if recalling memories of their high school days in her mind.

"Mikan, I think we should stop our little chat for now. I have to finish your make-up now or Natsume will have my head." Nobara winked at her as she saw the horrified look on Mikan's face to tell her it was a joke. Mikan, in turn, just nodded as she let Nobara do her work silently.

Moments later as Nobara was placing the final touches on her make-up and was fixing her hair, Narumi came back bursting through the door with his arms full of plastic-covered colorful dresses.

"Is she ready now, Nobara-chan?" Narumi asked as he placed the clothes on a couch and began sifting through the pile.

"Yes, I think this should do for now. I'll put the other touches after she gets dressed to finish her look." Nobara replied, now urging Mikan to stand up.

"That's good. Mikan, dear –" Narumi stopped in midsentence as soon as he laid eyes on Mikan.

"Oh my God, Nobara-chan… you have really outdone yourself this time. Mikan, you look gorgeous!" Narumi gushed as he approached Mikan with a dress on his arms and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around, then tilting her face from side to side to examine her face more closely. Mikan was blushing from all this attention Narumi is giving her.

"This is simply marvelous. I have just the right dress to match this look. Come here, Mikan. Take off your clothes and wear this." He said as he made a move of unbuttoning her blouse. Mikan was shocked and immediately backed away from him.

Narumi was confused, and then upon seeing the look on Mikan's face, realization dawned on him.

"Oh, don't be shy, Mikan. I'm just going to dress you." Narumi said gently, as he convinced Mikan to let him help her dress.

"Uh, Narumi-sensei, I think I should do this on my own. Don't worry, I can do this!" Mikan said as she brought her fist in front of her and as she tried to take hold of the dress Narumi was holding.

"Ah, Narumi-senpai, I think it would be better if I assist Mikan to dress." Nobara interjected gently, taking the dress from Narumi's hold.

"Of course. Thanks, Nobara-chan. Call me if you're done dressing her so that I could make necessary adjustments on the dress." Narumi answered and simply smiled in understanding. Narumi then walked out and disappeared behind the curtains.

_-o0o-_

"What is taking you so long? Is she done yet?" Natsume asked Narumi impatiently from behind the curtains dividing the room. Narumi was currently pinning the waist of the silk dress Mikan was wearing, a few pins held between his mouth as he stooped and adjusted the dress. After placing the final pin to its place, Narumi stood up and gazed at their creation with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Fine, fine. We're done. She's coming out in a while." Narumi answered back, a huge smile plastered on his handsome face. _Just wait till you look at this_, Natsume. He smirked as he held Mikan by the shoulders and guided her out of the curtain parting the room.

"Take her out. I want to see – "Natsume turned from where he was standing by the window to look at Mikan who just emerged from the curtains. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes slowly scanning the girl before him from head to foot. His mouth was left ajar as he was not able to finish what he was saying, and the look on his eyes was unreadable.

"So, what do you think? Pretty little creature, isn't she?" Narumi said teasingly, taking in the reaction on Natsume's face.

Mikan was already blushing and her ears burned hot with all the attention Narumi was showering over her, and the way that Natsume was looking at her, his eyes trailing from the top of her head down to the tip of her toes. She does not know what to think with the way he was looking at her. What is he thinking, exactly?

_End of Chapter_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: I'm really sorry if this took so long. I've been busy these past few days. And to be honest, I have also been pondering whether I should finish this story or just move on to writing original fiction. Anyway, I finally decided to finish this. Thank you for all who are continuing to support this story. Your reviews are greatly appreciated.

By the way, I now have the result for the winner of the drama story entry:

"_Locked In_" by** Lessthenthreeanime**

Only few voted (including the past reviews from when this story wasn't removed yet):

_Locked In_ got 4 votes and _"Seeking Love"_ from **Iris Petals** and _"Broken Wings"_ from **The Devils Song** each got 2 votes respectively.

Again, thank you for those who contributed drama plot ideas and for those who voted. It helped me a lot. :)

Till the next chapter then!

Review please?

-I will send a preview of the next chapter to those who review. :)


	7. Chapter 7

_-o0o-_

Natsume then walked slowly and approached Mikan to observe her more closely, taking in the sight of the girl before him.

Mikan was wearing a red silk empire-cut dress that ended on her knees. A sheer veil of red chiffon was draped over the dress's décolletage, and a thin strap of diamonds adorned the empire cut, which was connected to the silver straps draped over her shoulders, holding up the dress. Her silky auburn hair was curled and held up in a slightly messy bun, held firmly in place by a bejeweled hair ornament resembling a red lily. A few locks of her hair were freed from the bun and curled at the nape of her neck, while some curls were loosely framing her delicate face.

Her face was glowing with her cheeks splashed with ample amount of the color of rose, her eyes were accentuated with her dark lashes and a fine line of eyeliner, and a creamy red lipstick was slicked on her pouty lips.

She looked elegant, with her posture corrected by the training with Jinno, she stood tall with grace as Natsume's eyes trailed from her delicate features to her silk clad body. She was blushing madly with the way he was looking at her, rivaling the color of her elegant dress.

Narumi and Nobara watched as the young director appraised their work. They were almost sure that their work has been a success, and were almost expecting a word of approval from the director, when –

"Change it." Natsume said simply. He looked up to meet their gaze, a serious look on his face.

"WHAT?!" Narumi asked incredulously, the look of surprise evident on his face. Mikan was startled with Narumi's outburst and flinched which almost caused her to lose her balance, while Nobara brought her hand up to cover her mouth out of shock.

"I just told you. Do I have to repeat myself?" Natsume said as he walked back to the direction of the window where he previously stood. He did not care to give Mikan a second glance.

"You have to be kidding me, Natsume. Are you blind? Did you not see how elegant and gorgeous she looked? Seriously, you may need to have your eyes checked." Narumi said condescendingly.

"I'm not blind. Change it. I don't like it." Natsume said as he darted a challenging stare to Narumi.

"Fine, fine. It's not our fault you know. You should have told us what you wanted beforehand_, sheesh_. So, what is wrong with this look? She looks beautiful and mature. Personally, I actually like it." Narumi said.

"Exactly. She looks mature. That is not the image I had in mind for her." Natsume said as he tucked his hands in his pockets.

"I – I thought that was what you wanted her to look like, so I put on her make-up that way. I'm sorry." Nobara spoke up. Mikan moved to her side with a worried look on her face and draped a hand on Nobara's shoulder to comfort her.

"She's going to be the lead star in your series. Shouldn't she look mature and sophisticated?" Narumi asked.

"She has no experience in acting. She is basically unknown in the entertainment world. People would be wondering why I picked her for the role."

"And, your point?" Narumi asked skeptically as he tucked his hands in his elbows.

"I want her to look like her role on _and_ off the camera. That is the only way the producers would be convinced that she is right for the role, and understand why I picked her." Natsume replied.

"So, what do you have in mind, then?" Narumi asked.

"Show me the dresses that you brought with you. Nobara, start cleaning her face." Natsume finally said and stood up to go to the direction of the curtains parting the room.

"Ooooh, this is unexpected Natsume. I never knew you would have knowledge in these kinds of things." Narumi teased Natsume. "Or, could you be having some perverted thoughts that you wish to fulfill...in the process of dressing her?" Narumi asked playfully as he hovered by Natsume's back.

Natsume turned around quickly and shot him an icy glare. "Show me the dresses." He coldly ordered in reply.

"_Hai, hai_. Very impatient, aren't we?" Narumi pouted and walked past Natsume to go behind the curtains where he stacked the pile of dresses that he brought.

Moments later, Nobara was again putting on make-up on Mikan's face, while Natsume rifled through the pile of dresses Narumi brought. Nobara worked on Mikan silently, while Natsume was constantly pestered by Narumi either by teasing the young director or by arguing with him when it comes to his taste for clothes.

"I never really imagined you to have a taste for fashion, considering the only clothes I saw you wear were T-shirts and jeans, and occasionally a coat. Your color schemes are very dull too. Usually you're only wearing something that's either black, white or gray. Why don't you just let me handle this myself?" Narumi said while examining Natsume's clothes, bending over to look over Natsume's shoulder while the latter skimmed through the dresses.

Natsume stood up and stared at Narumi languidly for a moment, before trailing his eyes on Narumi's beret, then to his frilly white shirt, down to his black slacks and to his leather shoes. He let a small smirk appear on his lips when his eyes landed on Narumi's face again.

"You shouldn't be lecturing me on my fashion sense, just because you're a fashion designer, " Natsume said then went back to the dresses. "I'd rather not wear clothes for a sissy. People might get the wrong ideas." He whispered lowly and smirked. He still made sure that Narumi heard it though just to tease him.

"I heard that. And, for your information, my clothes are NOT for a sissy." Narumi pouted as he looked away from Natsume and tucked his arms.

"Whatever." Natsume muttered as he finally brought up a dress that satisfied him. "For a designer that dresses like you do, I must say that the clothes you make are good enough."

"Good enough? I am _The _Narumi Anjo, a known designer not only recognized in Japan but also in Paris, Italy…" Narumi started to babble about his accomplishments, while Natsume just ignored him and proceeded to walk in the direction of Mikan and Nobara, who was just about done with her work.

"Stand up." He ordered Mikan when he approached her, and Mikan obliged. He examined her face and her hair, and upon being satisfied by what he saw, gave Nobara an approving nod. "This is good. Now assist her to get in this dress. I expect her to be ready in 20 minutes. We are leaving after that." He said as he handed Nobara the dress and then went outside behind the curtains once more.

_-o0o-_

Tsubasa Andou walked through the lobby of the luxurious hotel that particular noon he was looking forward to. He nodded as a curt greeting to the men who recognized him and greeted him, not stopping as he walked till he reached the elevator. He walked in the empty lift and pressed the elevator button to close it. Just before the two panels were shut, a hand appeared before the gap, preventing its closure.

His eyes widened at the man who just straightened himself after rushing in the elevator. He was straightening his tie when he finally took notice of the man who has been staring at him since he entered the elevator.

"Shiki-san! What are you doing here? I thought you were on a business trip. Mom said – " Tsubasa exclaimed as he approached the man dressed in a pin-striped suit beside him.

"Ah, Tsubasa. I never thought I would run into you here. I came back just this morning from Kuala Lumpur. I haven't told Yuka yet. I plan to surprise her later when I get home. What are you doing here?" Shiki said good-naturedly, a gentle smile on his face. His brown hair remained neat as ever, and his suit was impeccable. No one would have thought he just arrived from a trip. Jet lag seems to be a foreign word to him.

"I'm here for a meeting with the other producers and that director Natsume. He's going to introduce to us a new replacement for the lead actress in _Fate's Chains. _How about you? What are you still doing here? You should go home and rest. Mom was waiting for you." Tsubasa replied.

"Ah, I can't go home yet. I still have a meeting with the acting CEO of Imai Corp. I am actually already late. It's a good thing that I know her personally." He sighed.

_Ping!_

Shiki looked up to see that he's already on his floor. "Oh, looks like I got to go. See you later, Tsubasa. Don't tell your mom I already arrived." He said as he walked out of the elevator.

Tsubasa simply nodded. As he saw his reflection on the closing doors of the elevator, he was reminded of the person he is going to meet later in the meeting. That woman that Hyuuga is bringing. Just who is she? He wonders.

If his predictions are confirmed, he would have to tell Yuka about it as soon as he could. But right now, when everything is still uncertain and all he got is gut feeling, he can't. He can't afford to bring Yuka's hopes up only to have her disappointed. He has seen her suffer enough.

_Ping!_

The sound of the slight ring that announced his arrival to his floor removed him from his deep thoughts. He walked out of the lift as the doors opened and headed to the reserved conference hall at the end of the corridor.

This is it. He will meet her in a while.

_-o0o-_

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I suppose you already know why we are here? _Mr. Director,_ shall we proceed?" Tsubasa said addressing the other old men in the room before staring levelly at Natsume. He made sure the latter took note of his stress on his title for sarcasm.

"Of course. I won't make this long. I know all of us want to leave as soon as we can. So, here's the actress who will play the role of the lead actress of Fate's Chains.." Natsume replied and addressed the other men in the room. He looked back to the direction of the half open door and signaled the person outside to come in.

"Gentlemen, I present you: Miss Mikan Sakura. She will play the role of Mihane for the other half of the drama series." He said.


End file.
